


The realities of being a zebra

by Anonymous



Series: Rosa's medical room adventures [3]
Category: Brooklyn Nine-Nine (TV)
Genre: EDs, F/M, Gastroperisis, Honestly I might turn these into a series of one shots, Kinda, Rosa is chronically ill, Slight tw for suicide in description, Strong Language Warning, amy and jake are there to suppport her, and has medical trauma, and today we're gunna be focusing on doctors that are knobs, but I mean I don't really touch on it in ch 1, but for now nothing big, but this is basically a fic / series about the realities of being CI, covering different issues that come with being a zebra, don't hate me, i can't name fics okay, it's extremely cute, it's more the aftermath and managing it, my zebra crew know what I'm talkin' bout, pots - Freeform, undeicided if i do in ch 2, we don't go into detail too much
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-19
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-15 16:54:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29562207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Chaper 1: Reality 1: Doctors are c*nts
Series: Rosa's medical room adventures [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1960543
Kudos: 4
Collections: Fanfic Anonymous





	The realities of being a zebra

Amy knows its bad news as soon as Rosa walks through her apartment door, smudged eyeliner not doing anything to help the bags under her sunken, tired eyes. 

“The fuck are you doing here, Santiago?” she sighs, throwing her rucksack against a nearby coat rack and slumping into the nearest seat.

“I wanted to be here for you. Y’know, in case you needed my support or something.” 

Rosa grunts, not bothering to open her eyes now that she’d finally gotten comfortable. She had clearly tried to make an effort to look nice before the appointment, but now all that was left of her outfit was a pair of soiled skinny jeans and an baggy t shirt that read ‘drunken doughnuts’

“I barfed on my other shirt. This is all I had in my car.” She says, sensing Amy staring. “Oh no I wasn’t-” 

“It’s fine.” There’s a pause. “You can go home. I’m good here.” Rosa groans as she picks her legs up off the floor and tucks them under herself. She’s not exactly comfortable and she’s pretty sure she’s going to freeze, but it’ll do.

“Uh-uh, no. No boots on the sofa.” There’s a protesting groan as Amy stands up and reaches over to pull Rosa’s boots off her “Hospitals are full of bugs, and I know you can’t boil wash this thing.”

“We’re cops. We’ve come across way worse.”

“I don’t care. You’ve a port and a tube. Sepsis is the last thing you need right now, I know you’re exhausted and upset but you need a wash and a meal before you even think of trying to sleep this off.

“You’re not my mum.”

“Well maybe I should call her then.” Amy says, neatly placing the boots in the shoe rack by the door “What would she say if she realised her daughter was living like this?” 

Rosa forces herself upright, clinging onto the edge of the sofa for stability “Don’t. I- I can’t take her shit right now.” Amy turns around, Rosas’ sudden vulnerability taking her off guard. “Rosa?” Rosa shakes her head and pushes the hair out of her eyes “I’m fine.”

“You’re not.” Amy says, lowering herself so she was crouched next to her friend “What’s going on?” Rosa pushes her hand away, “ No, don’t… get up, I’m not a kid”

“I’m not sitting where your sockless feet have been.” 

There’s a chuckle and Rosa reaches up to wipe her eyes with the back of her sleeve “I’ve just had a really shitty day.”

“Were you not cleared for work?”

“No, and that’s the problem. I don’t feel well enough to go back on monday.” Amy nods, Rosa had barely left her bed in weeks, and when she had, it had almost ended in her fainting or falling. “But I can’t take anymore sick days or I’ll lose my job.”

“But the doctor, you were going to ask for medical leave?” 

Rosa shook her head, grimacing as the tears rolled down her cheeks “No. He-” she broke off, falling against the sofa and letting the tears seize any last words that she might have wanted to say. Amy reached up and rubbed her shoulder, trying to ignore the feeling of impending doom wrapping its way around her gut.``It's going to be just fine, okay? We’re going to get you settled, and then tomorrow we can call and complain, and-” She trailed off, realising that Rosa had passed out. She leaned forward, pushing the hair out of her face and trying not to look at the way her eyes had rolled back into her head. It was always scary when this happened, even though she knew it was technically normal for her, the way everything in Rosas’ body had just ceased to function.

As time passed, upset was replaced by anger. How could the doctor not have seen how sick Rosa was? Makeup or not it was obvious she hadn’t been sleeping, and once you pushed her trademark leather jacket off her shoulder, all you could see was bruised, worn skin wraped taut around protruding bones. How could he have chosen to be so willfully ignorant? To neglect someone under his care? Rosa needed that sick note. If she didn’t get it, she was probably going to loose her job, and if she lost her job then she wasn’t going to be able to afford insurance or meds or heating or rent or-

“Mmmmf” Rosa sighed, eyes fluttering open and begining to process everything once more. Amy shook herself out of her thoughts and straightened up “It’s okay, you’re okay. You just fainted.” Rosa nods and rolls so her back is facing Amy, burrowing her chin into her chest and curling into a little ball in an attempt to preserve heat. Amy heasitates, briefly condidering making Rosa strip where she was so she could get her into warmer clean clothes, but decides against it as soon as she starts to snore. She needed her rest. 

*

Rosa groans, artificial light and the sound of the vaccum pulling her from her slumber. She’s hot. And sweaty. And tired. So tired.

Wait.

Where was she?

She shakes her head, willing the thick cloud of fog in her brain to dissapier as she forces her eyes open. The room is bright and kind of cloudy, but she just about makes out the cream walls surrounding her and a tv in the far right corner. She wasn’t. She couldn’t be. She was. Rosa looks down, sees all the tubes and wires and instantly  _ knows  _ where she is.

  
  
  


“Hey, hey, Rosa! It’s okay.”

That voice seemed awfully familiar. 

“No, it’s okay, don’t panic, you’re at home.”

Really familiar

“Amy, I need help over here!”

She just couldn’t place it.

“Rosa, hey, it’s okay,” says another voice “It’s thusday, may 28th 2021. You’re at home, in your medical room, in bed.”

Rosa stopped trhashing for a moment and blinked, making out the vage shadow of a person looming over her “...Amy?”

Amy nods, forcing a smile as her fingers work to detangle Rosa form her IV before she pulled her port out (she wasn’t actually sure if that was possible, but she wasn’t about to take the chance) “Yeah, it’s me. Jake’s here too. You’re okay. You’re safe.”

“Why- how- how do you know I was here?”

“Because I carried you in here. You feel asleep on the couch.” Jake says, steping in to actually assist his wife and pull off a blood pressure cuff instead of gawp like a fish “We put you in here so we could keep an eye. That’s all.”

“I’m not in hospital?”

“You’re not in hospital.” Amy echoed, finally releasing Rosa from all the tubes and wires, and stepping back. Now that she wasn’t in the way, Rosa pushed herself upright, uncovering her legs from layers of blankets. She wasn’t in a gown but instead thick, warm pajamas. “I’m not in hospital.” She whispered to herself, pulling her legs into her chest and squeezing them. Her heart felt like it was going to explode out of her chest.

“Do you want us to leave you be?” 

Rosa nodded, and the couple left without another word.


End file.
